Molding apparatus



l Dec. 19,1933. A, FARMER l 1,939,885

MOLDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l I VENTOR f armer ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1933. A. FARMER MOLDING APFARATUS Filed Feb. ll, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w /4 ,r M, ,9 r m m o m y M5 /w 2 m a ,l OWN@ W n., .J 5 u m x L 2. for M mw w. mi m z m M L f, E A w 4 fr @QW ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relatesto the art of molding and, among other objects, aims to provide an improved apparatus and method for making both molds and cores for hollow cylindricalcastings, such as cast iron pipes and the like. The method herein used consists of making both mold andv core of relatively thin shells of sand, each part being made in two semi-cylindrical sections, and afterwards baking and joining the twoV sections together. i

The preferred machine consists essentially of a semi-cylindrical base form over which the sand is spread, a planetary rollerhaving a profile corresponding to the shape of the desired casting, and means to roll the roller over the sand so as to compress the sand vagainst the supporting form thereby forming one-half of either a core or a mold. The form is easily removable from the machine so that, While supporting the core or mold, it may be removed and placed in an oven for baking.

In the `accompanying drawings,- wherein are shown two differentV machines embodying the invention, 1 i Y Fig.' 111s a side elevation of a core making maF chine; i

` Fig. 21s a plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same;f

Fig. 4 is a vside elevation of a mold making machine; and Y Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. v= i Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is sl'l'ownfa frame 10, on which is supported a semi-cylindrical sand-supporting form 11, the outside radius of which is less than the inside radius ofthe desired casting by the'thickness ofthe mold or core to be'formed thereon. The ends of the form l1 are bent outwardly to provide supporting flanges 12," and these flanges are secured to adjustable supports 13 by any easily detachable fasteners such asl pins 14. The supports 13 are carriedon a longitudinalV screw shaft `15` which is journaled in oppositeY ends-of the frame and:` has two oppositely threaded sections 16, with a hand wheel -1'7 at one end, so that the position of the supports may be quickly adjusted for forms of different sizes by rotating the hand wheel.

Secured tol each side sill of the frame 10 is a bearing block 18, the position of which is such that a shaft carried by the Vbearing block will have its axis coincidingrwith thev axis of cylindrical form 11. Journaled in the bearing 18 are trunnion shafts 19 which may be integral with vtrunnion blocks 20. To the trunnion blocks 20 casting, the roller will Yalways be provided with are secured arms 21 and 22 which together carry the shaping roller 23, said shaping roller being swingable by said arms about form llto shape the mold. Y

The arm 21 comprises a banjo-shaped housing, the round portion of which encases a fixed bevel gear 24 which is secured to the face of one of the bearing blocks 18, and the narrow portion of which houses a shaftV 25 suitably journaled at one end in a slidable bearing block 26, and at the other end in the trunnion block 20. The axis of the shaft 25 intersects the axis of the trunnions 19 and carries on its lower end a planetary bevel gear 27 which meshes with the xed gear 24 to rotate shaft 25 when the arms 21, 22 are swung about the trunnions. The shaft 25 then transmits its rotation to the roller shaft 28 by means of bevel gears 29, 29a, the ends of shaft 28 being journaled in a hub 26a of the bearing block 26, said hub projecting through a slot 21a, 22a respectively in the arms 21 and 22. The driving bevel gear 29 is splined on the shaft 25, as shown in Fig.` 2, to permit regulation of the radius of swing of roller 23, thus permitting use ofthe apparatus with different sizes of forms 11. -In practice, the gear ratio may be such as to provide substantially rolling contact between the periphery of the roller 23 and the core shell under formation, independently of the diameter of the core. The arm 22 is like the arm 2l except that 85 its construction is simplified by the absence of the bevel gears and drive shaft.

Since the machine is adapted to form cores of different sizes, the radius of swing of the roller 23 is adjusted by means of screw rods 30 which may be journaled at their outer ends in the topvendsv ofthe arms 21, 22 and at their inner ends inthe trunnion Ablocks 20and which engage female threads in the slidable bearing blocks 26. The outer `ends of the rods 30 are equipped with hand wheels 31 by means of which the radius of swing of the roller may be conveniently regulated Within the limits of the slots 21a, 22a in theV arms `21, 22. rAs shown in Fig. 2, the core shaping roller 23 is spaced far enough from the surface of the form l1 to provide a suitable thickness forthe core shell. Althoughthe general shape of the roller may conform to the shape of any desired end flanges 32 which overlap the ends of the form 105 l1 and prevent the packed sand from being pushed or falling past the edges of the form. Inthis connection, it should also be observed that the formflanges 12 'extend radially at all points a ,110

distance equal to the clearance between the roller and the cylindrical surface. Thus when the roller has a V-groove, the flanges 12 will have a V-projection, as shown in Fig. 2. See also Fig. 3. The flanges 12 thus provide perfect supports for the sand, while permitting the roller 23 to pass over them.

In the operation of the machine, the roller is dropped down to one side, the right side in Fig. 1, and suitably prepared sand is then piled thickly over the cylindrical form and partially packed by hand or hand-wielded implements. The roller 23 is then revolved around to the other side of the frame, which shapes and packs the sand into the desired form. As the roller is swung around, its direction of rotation about its own axis :is the same as its direction of oscillation about the cylindrical form, so that the forward part of the roller pushes the piled up sand ahead of -it down and under the roller, which action results -n an excellent packing of the sand. After the -roller hasbeen swung over tothe opposite side of the frame, the form 11 with the mold supported thereon may be easily removed from the frame and placed in lan oven yto harden the sand.

-Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, there is shown a machine which is adapted to form the complementary vportion of the mold. In this case, the shaping roller is rolled along the inner or concave surface of the form, so that several changes in the machine are desirable. In Fig. 4 there is shown a table frame 40 having legs 41, upper side rails 42, and two pairs of end rails 4 3 and 44, the two lower end rails 44 being connected by a centrally disposed longitudinal bar 45. A screw rod 46 has its ends journaled in rails 43 and has yright and left hand threads thereon, with a hand wheel 46a at one end. 1

The sand supporting form 47 in vthis case is suspended from its end flanges 48 which rest on the adjustable supports 49. These supports each comprise a cross bar 50, a vertical rod 51 secured at its upper end to cross bar 50 and engaged' by the threads of the screw rod .46, and a guide foot 52 at the lower end of rod 51 having a V-groove in its underside to t on the V-shaped -top of the longitudinal Vbar 45. The supports 449 may thus be moved together or spread apart llike-the supports 13 in Fig. 1, by turninghand lwheel 46E.

At either end of the semi-cylindrical form 47 there is provided an inwardly projecting plate 53 having a profile to t the profile of the shaping roller and which serves a function analogous 'to 'that of the flanges 12 of the first described machine. These plates 53 are clamped between the form flange 48 and cross bars 54 which are spaced from the upperside rails 42 and secured thereto by bolts 55 which pass through slots 56 inthe slide rails, the slots providing means of adjustment, 'also guides co-operalting with guides 45.

The shaping roller 57 has in this case a shape similar to the outer surface of the casting,-e. g.,

the bell end of a cast iron pipe. Arms 58, 59 are `:pivotally supported on trunnions which are journaled in bearing blocks 60 secured to the under side ofthe side rails. The arms 58, 59 have the same construction as arms V21, 22 respectively 'of the machine nrst described, and hence adjustably support roller 57 and effect rotation of `lsaid roller when they are swung on their trunnions. It will be observed that theside rails 42 are hinged to the legs asat V61 so that toremove Vthe form 47 after the mold has been-shaped,

the side rails with the roller mechanism suspended therefrom may be raised up out of the way, after which the form 47 is easily lifted out of the frame.

The forming of a mold or a core by this method is obviously a very simple process and can be done in an extremely short time, there being only two operations, that is, spreading the sand on the cylindrical surface and passing the roller over the sand. The machines are thus exceedingly useful in mass production of castings. Although I have illustrated rollers for making the complete mold of the bell end of a cast iron pipe, obviously the rollers may have any desired pattern and llikewise, the size of the cylindrical 90 forms maybe varied and the radius of swing of the roller adjusted at will to make cylindrical molds -of any desired shape or size, within the limits of the machine.

Obviously the present invention is not restricted to -the particular embodiment, thereof :herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indis- ,pensableY that allof the features :of the invention be 'used conjointly Vsince they may abe lemployed advantageously rin various combinations and-subcombinations.

What I claim isz- 1. vA molding Vmachine comprising, in combination, a frame; `adjustable form supports carried by the frame; a generally semi-cylindrical sandsupporting form-carried by vthe supports; la pair of arms pivoted on either side of the frame at the ends of said .cylindrical form, the pivots of said arms being coaxial with rthe curved surface of the form; a shaping rollercarried by the arms 110 but spaced from -the form; and mechanism operatively -linking the Yroller with the frame such that swinging motion of the arms relative to the frame rotates the roller about the roller axis.

2. A molding machine comprising, intcombina- ,115 tion, a frame; form supports carried' 'by the frame; manually operable .means to adjust Athe positions of 'said formsupports; agenerallysemicylindrical sand-supporting form removably carried -by the supports; -a pair 'lof yarmsgpiimted i120 on either side of the frame at the ends ofsaid form, the pivot axis-of "said 'arms .fbeing'coaxial with the-curved surface ofthe form; andashap- Ving 'roller carriedby the arms but spaced from vthe form. Y

. .125 3. A molding .machine comprising, ingcomlbination, a frame; `a form having a -generally cylindrical surface; a pair of arms pivoted to the framerat-points coaxial wwith-said cylindrical surface; arsand shaping roller carried yby .the arms 3130 and zoperativelygeared to rotate aboutits gown Vaxis when the farms are, swung about ftheir pivot points; sand retaining endy flanges on said roller Vwhich overlapthe edges of saidbase form; .and 1.a

pair of-sandsupporting flanges radially project- 335 Ving from said base fformfhaving profiles vvwhich onthe formand-roller-toaid inholding-thesand on the form -whileit is-being shaped. 5145 5. 1A moldingmachine comprising,:in.combination, a Iframe; -a 'form fdetachably secured thereto; Ea fixedzgearsecured'tothe frame; apairof kparalleljarms.pivoted tothe frame on:opposite sidesardiswlngable about the axis :of thesgear; '=.150

bearing blocks slidably mounted in the arms; a shaping roller having an axle whose ends are journaled in said bearing blocks; means to adjust; the distance between the bearing blocks and the pivot axis of the arms; and roller driving mechanism linking the roller shaft with the xed gear, so that the roller is rotated when the arms are swung on their pivot axis.

' 6. A molding machine comprising, in combination, a frame whose top is hinged; means to support a form upon said frame; said supporting means being adjustable for forms of different widths and being attached to and guided by the frame at the top and bottom; the attaching means at the top being readily detachable so that the top may be swung back and the form lifted out; and a sand-packing mechanism pivotally supported on the frame and movable over the form, though out of contact with the sand-supporting surface thereof, to pack molding sand on the form. Y

7. A molding machine comprising, in combination, a frame; a. sand-supporting form resting on top of the frame and presenting a generally semi-cylindrical surface lying wholly above the frame; a roller; swingable roller supports carried by the frame and movable about the longitudinal axis of the sand-supporting form but at the opposite ends thereof; and means to effect rotation of the roller on its axis when the roller is swung above the frame about said form axis; said roller being spaced from said surface so as to pack sand down thereon.

8. A molding machine comprising, in combination, a frame; a sand-supporting form supported within the frame and presenting a generally semicylindrical surface lying wholly within the frame; a roller; swingable roller supports carried by the g frame and movable about the longitudinal axis of the sand-supporting form but at the opposite ends thereof; and means to eiect rotation of the roller on its axis when the roller is swung within the frame about said form axis; said roller being spaced from said surface so as to pack sand down thereon.

ALFRED L. FARMER. 

